VoLT : the most INNOVATIVE vocabulary improvement resource

VoLT (Vocabulary Learning Techniques) is an android app and a book which provides the user with
various innovative techniques to remember difficult English words. Students preparing for exams like
CAT, MAT, SAT, BITSAT, GMAT, GRE, SSC, Bank PO, IELTS, TOEFL etc are finding it extremely helpful.
With more than 1, 50, 000 downloads in less than 6 months (
and a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Google Play), VoLT is changing the way Indian students learn English
Vocabulary.

About Us

Nobody can deny the fact that an extensive command over English language is the need of
the hour, but many people develop the fear of English just because of difficult words that appear
recurrently in newspapers and magazines-hindering the smooth reading process. Even though a sincere
reader refers the dictionary several times but the retention of new and difficult words is the biggest
challenge.

Various psychological researches have proved that new information is well retained by our
brains if it is associated with some previous information. So in VoLT, we have tried to associate
difficult but important English words with normal life events, funny stories, pictures and other self
tested highly effective techniques which will surely help the reader to learn and retain while enjoying
the whole process. Audio Pronunciation, Synonyms, Antonyms and various Usages have also been provided
along with each word.

checkout our sample words

Agog

Meaning

highly excited by eagerness, curiosity, anticipation

memory key

Agog sounds like 'Gog (Goggles)'. I got agog by seeing a gog (goggles) on a dog.

synonyms

awestruck, enthralled

antonyms

uninterested, incurious

usage

The news has chemists agog
Her supporters were agog at the idea.

Cloister

Meaning

seclusion, isolation, a place where monks or nuns live

memory key

The word cloister sounds like 'closed oyster'. Imagine a closed oyster with a pearl inside it. The pearl is secluded/isolated from the outside world. So, cloister means isolation or seclusion.

synonyms

confined, monastery, religious residence

antonyms

open, public

usage

They left the cloister and wandered in search of food.

Devilry

Meaning

wickedness, malicious fun, mischief, black magic

memory key

The word devilry seems to be derived from the word 'devil'. It means evil and wickedness.

synonyms

rascality, misbehaviour

antonyms

humanity,clemency,mercifulness

usage

Children always get into some devilry in schools.
The superstitious villagers were quick to attribute an unexpected occurrence to devilry.

Erudition

Meaning

knowledge acquired by study, research, learning, scholarship.

memory key

The word erudition sounds like 'every edition'. Imagine a person who has read every edition of every book and magazine. He must be very knowledgeable. So, erudition means learning and knowledge.

synonyms

learnedness, enlightenment

antonyms

ignorance, illiteracy

usage

I hope that her erudition and legal background will have made her more open minded and secular in outlook.
These were no ordinary tasks; each element of Kalam's work required considerable erudition.

Glutton

Meaning

an excessively greedy eater, insatiable, very eager for something

memory key

The word glutton can be memorised as 'glucose tonne'. Imagine a person who can drink glucose in tonnes. He must be a glutton.

synonyms

eater, feeder, gourmand

antonyms

who eats very less

usage

He is a glutton for adventure.
His sales are big and he's a glutton for work.

Mundane

Meaning

common, ordinary, dull, banal, unimaginative

memory key

The word mundane sounds similar to 'Monday'. After enjoying the holiday of Sunday, the employee of a company is unwilling to go to office. He says, "Now again Monday. These dull and boring assignments". So, mundane means dull, banal, ordinary.

synonyms

quotidian, workaday, routine, ordinary, everyday

antonyms

heavenly, unworldly, extraordinary

usage

I fear that my conclusions may appear trivial and mundane.
You have been assigned with a mundane task of scheduling appointments.
He was seeking a way out of his mundane, humdrum existence.

Onerous

Meaning

burdensome, troublesome, involving obligations or responsibilities

memory key

The word onerous can be memorized as 'Owner Rush'. Our owner is such a troublesome person that we rush away on seeing him. 'Our owner is very onerous'. So, onerous means burdensome and troublesome.

synonyms

cumbersome, demanding, weighty

antonyms

easy, facile, effortless

usage

Some jobs requires a great amount of energy and pay a very small return. Those can be called as onerous jobs.
The child found his duties increasingly onerous.
Child labour becomes quite onerous for children.

Aghast

Meaning

filled with horror or shock

memory key

The word aghast can be memorised as 'a ghost'. After seeing a horror movie, everyone was aghast. So, aghast means filled with horror.

synonyms

afraid, dismayed, appalled, shocked

antonyms

fearless, unafraid

usage

When the news about the terrorist attack came out, they were aghast.

Petulant

Meaning

irritable, bad tempered, fractious, irascible

memory key

The word petulant can be memorised as 'pet you lent'. One of my friends wanted to have a pet. So, I lent him my dog as a pet. After some days that friend of mine called me up and complained, 'The pet you lent is very irritable and bad tempered. It always tries to bite me'. So, petulant means 'bad tempered and irritable'.

synonyms

peckish,cranky,ill-natured, fractious, peevish

antonyms

accommodating, amenable, compliant, genial

usage

He was moody and quite petulant.
A petulant passenger tossed a piece of luggage at him.
A petulant shake of the head annoyed me.

I was enervated due to excessive exercising.
Experts suggest that a sound sleep is essential to remove enervation caused by the day's work.

Inebriated

Meaning

intoxicated, heavily drunk

memory key

The word inebriated sounds like in a 'brew'ated situation. Brew is related to drinks and alcohol. So, inebriated is used for a person who is heavily drunk.

synonyms

drunken, boozy, tipsy

antonyms

sober

usage

Driving should be avoided in an inebriated condition.
Fatal mine accidents are often caused by crude explosives handled by inexperienced or inebriated miners.
Nowadays, parties end up in an inebriated crowd and a big bill.

Acme

Meaning

the highest point, summit, peak

memory key

The word acme sounds like the famous cosmetics brand 'Lakme'. After applying Lakme, her beauty rises to its acme. So, acme means the highest point.

synonyms

apex, zenith, apogee

antonyms

nadir, bottom, base

usage

The empire was at the acme of its power.
Physics is the acme of scientific knowledge.
Bruce Lee represented the acme of excellence in martial arts.

Expunge

Meaning

erase or remove completely, wipe out, efface

memory key

The word expunge sounds like 'sponge'. Now a days, a magical sponge is available in the market that can erase every stain from your wall. So, expunge means to wipe out or to efface.

synonyms

take out, delete

antonyms

create

usage

It would be wrong to expunge these atrocities from the record of history.
After a bad break up, I am trying to expunge those memories.
I have expunged that period from my CV.
I had the charge expunged from my criminal record.

Plenitude

Meaning

abundance, plenty, profusion, fullness, completeness

memory key

The word plenitude sounds like 'plenty dude'. My friend was worried about my financial condition. I comforted him by saying, 'I have plenty, dude! I have plenitude.' So, plenitude means abundance and plenty.

synonyms

abundance, copiousness

antonyms

scarcity, paucity

usage

The farm boasts a plenitude of animals and birds.
A plenitude of food, air and sunlight is available in this village.

Strife

Meaning

bitter conflict, discord, antagonism

memory key

The word strife can be memorised using the phrase 'struggle with your wife'. If you are struggling with your wife that means a conflict has happened.

synonyms

struggle, battle

antonyms

concord, peace, truce

usage

Somalia was torn by the civil strife.
Diplomacy is the best way to end strife.
It is always nice to not have strife.

Puerile

Meaning

pertaining to a child or childhood, childish, silly

memory key

The word puerile sounds like 'pure smile'. As we grow older, our smiles become cunning. Pure smiles are only there in childhood. So, the word puerile (pure smile) reminds me of childhood, especially childish activities.

synonyms

immature, juvenile

antonyms

mature

usage

Stop making puerile excuses.
This is a puerile piece of writing.
It was a rather puerile and absurd conversation.

Verbose

Meaning

use of too many words, wordy

memory key

The word verbose has been derived from the word 'verbal'. The word 'verbal' is related to speaking. Someone who speaks a lot is verbose.

synonyms

long-winded, prolix

antonyms

terse, concise

usage

Wherever possible, the code has been kept as straight forward as possible and rarely verbose.

Warmonger

Meaning

a sovereign or political leader or activist who encourages or advocates aggression or warfare towards other nations or groups

memory key

The word warmonger can be memorized in hindi as 'war maangne waala'. So, warmonger is someone who wants war.

synonyms

war hawk, war hound, jingoist

antonyms

peace loving

usage

Hitler was a warmonger.

Potent

Meaning

powerful, mighty

memory key

The word potent can be memorised as 'pot ant'. Imagine an ant lifting a heavy pot. If an ant can do that, it must be very powerful. So, potent means powerful and mighty.

synonyms

robust, influential, strong

antonyms

powerless, impotent, uninfluential

usage

I want to make the anti corruption agency more potent.
Methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
Potent steroids should be used for short periods of time whilst mild steroids can be used for longer.

Acumen

Meaning

insight, shrewdness, mental sharpness

memory key

The word acumen sounds like 'a quick man'. The one who thinks very quickly. The one who is mentally very sharp.Hence Acumen means insightful and mental sharpness.

synonyms

perspicacity, astuteness, acuity, ingenuity

antonyms

bluntness, dullness, obtuseness, stupidity

usage

Turning a life into a livelihood requires more than talent and business acumen.
You aren't getting anywhere near the solution of this mathematical problem without some statistics acumen.
Capable lawyers with business acumen are valuable to any firm.

Estrangement

Meaning

alienation, disaffection, making unfriendly, to remove or keep at a distance

memory key

The word estrangement sounds like 'a strange man'. Imagine a person who has survived a serious accident, but whose face has been severely distorted. Wherever he goes, the children shout, 'A strange man. He must be an alien'. So, estrangement means alienation.

synonyms

isolation, parting, dis-association

antonyms

connection, friendliness

usage

The growing estrangement of the police from their communities is a big concern.
A parent's rights in the event of divorce or estrangement are decided by the court.
The quarrel estranged the two friends.
The necessity for travelling on business has estranged him from his family.

Irate

Meaning

angry, enraged, furious

memory key

The word irate sounds like 'eye red'. Whenever a person becomes angry, his eyes become red. There is also a Hindi idiom for this: 'Gusse mein aankein laal ho jaana'. So, irate means angry or enraged.

synonyms

ireful, angry, ballistic

antonyms

delighted, pleased, happy, elated

usage

I wrote an irate letter to the editor for publishing profane content in the newspaper.
When she did not come from a party until midnight, her father became irate.
Irate protesters damaged the transportation facilities of the government.

Accrue

Meaning

to increase over a period, natural growth, addition

memory key

The word accrue can be memorized as 'our crew'. Consider a situation where a ship company owner is addressing a shareholder meeting: 'We are making profits. Our crew is constantly increasing. We are growing'. So, accrue means to grow.

synonyms

accumulate, augment, build up

antonyms

dissipate, disperse

usage

I am still paying off debts accrued during the marriage of my daughter.
Loyalty programs allow members to accrue points for money spent or trips taken with a particular company.
Our most recent research suggests that you can accrue benefits even if you don't get the recommended dose.

Abridged

Meaning

to shorten without losing the meaning, to condense

memory key

The word abridged can be split into 'a' and 'bridge'. The travelling time between two places was cut short because of the construction of a bridge. So, abridge means to cut short.

synonyms

cut-short, curtail, truncate

antonyms

unabridged, uncut, elongate, protract

usage

The articles have been abridged from the original stories.
This book contains an abridged text of his speech.
An abridged edition of a book is its condensed version.

Grimace

Meaning

a facial expression suggesting disgust,pain or disapproval

memory key

The word grimace can be memorised as 'grim face'. Grim face means a sad face, which suggests pain and disapproval.

synonyms

frown, glower

antonyms

smile, grin

usage

She gave a grimace of pain.
When you burn your finger, the grimace on your face sends a universal message.
When we smile, frown or grimace, thousands of tiny facial muscles are at work.
Sonya tried to hide her grimace as she tasted her little brother's brownies.

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checkout our videos

media coverage

Revolutionary initiative. A self tutorial which enables the users to comprehend and learn
difficult words easily and effectively. Every meaning is illustrated scientifically with its
pronunciation, usage etc. Very instrumental for competitive exams aspirants and
professionals as well.

SUSHMA JHA,
ONLINE GMAT TUTOR

This is actually very helpful to learn words fast. The pictures used are quite impressive and
help students recall the meaning instantly when they see the word. Have recommended this
book to a few students and have got positive reviews about it.

AMIT ARORA,
B TECH. IIT MUMBAI, IAS BATCH- 2012

Very useful for exams such as CAT, GMAT, BANK PO and other competitive exams that require
good vocabulary.

SHASHANK PRABHU
CAT TOPPER

The catchy visuals and rhymes interspersed with a comic touch is an excellent way to help
people remember new words. Kudos to the team.

AADITYA DAHIYA,
AIIMS TOPPER, IAS Batch-2010

School students, MBA aspirants, Job seekers, BPO employees and each one of us who wants to
improve upon our English definitely have something to look forward to and learn from.

MANISH CHAUBEY
RESEARCH ASSISTANT AT MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE, GERMANY.

The mnemonic system used in this works more logically than any of the vocabulary book I have
seen. I am very sure that by following this method, anyone can improve his vocabulary. I
recommend this book to high school students, college students, business professionals,
whoever wants to enhance his vocabulary.